Struggle to find the X factor in police chief polls

John Harris is quite right about the farce of voting for a police commissioner (Why I'll spoil my ballot, 6 November). I still don't know who the candidates are, although I rang the helpline at least three weeks ago asking for details. I was invited to do this by an "information" leaflet posted to me. It did say I will have a first and second choice. No mention, though, of how the voting system works. What if there are more than two candidates? And what exactly is it all for anyway? The county police authorities, made up of elected local authority members, are being disbanded. Their job was to monitor the local police force, set the budget and, if necessary, sack the chief constable. In the future, elected local authority members will sit on a "police and crime panel" to monitor the new commissioner. If the panel doesn't like what the commissioner does, it will have a veto, including of his or her choice of a chief constable. So what's the point of having a commissioner, who will take a high salary, no doubt with expenses. What was that about fooling the people…Penny YoungSouth Lopham, Norfolk

• John Harris mentions that in order to cut costs in the forthcoming police elections, the Conservatives who dreamt this up decided there would be no free mailshots for candidates. As a result, most people are barely aware that anything is happening. Not so in Cheshire. There are five candidates standing, including an independent, all having had to put up a £5,000 deposit. However, Stephen Mosley, MP for Chester, has used his position, which allows him to have a column in the local free newspaper, to name, support and extol the virtues of the Conservative party candidate. So much for democracy and fairness between candidates.Phil TateChester

• Please, John Harris, don't spoil your vote in the police commissioner election. In Avon and Somerset, there is a real danger that a dangerous candidate could be elected. The Conservative Ken Maddock was until recently leader of Somerset county council, where he pursued an ideologically driven policy of cuts and outsourcing. His administration's brutal plans for our libraries had national attention, but there has been much more on the same lines. Maddock's election material may be bland. But his underlying beliefs are sincere and we could expect cuts and privatisation in the police service if he were to win. We're told the turnout will be low, so every vote will count. Can I propose the temporary formation in Avon and Somerset of a new pressure group – Guardian Readers Against Ken?Andy LewisMinehead, Somerset

• Is John Harris really serious when he talks about deliberately spoiling his ballot paper in the police and crime commissioners election? They may not be taking the election seriously in his neck of the woods, but in my area the candidates have been on television and had debates around West Yorkshire. I have helped deliver several thousand leaflets to homes in Bradford East to support the Labour candidate, who happens to be a serving councillor in Castleford, as well as being the current chair of the West Yorkshire Police Authority. Who could have more legitimacy than that?

The Labour party does not agree with police commissioners, but it had to put up a candidate when the legislation passed through parliament. I believe that every election gives voters the opportunity to voice their opinions of the current administration, and the election of Labour police commissioners would send a message loud and clear to this useless coalition. To deliberately spoil your ballot paper is vainglorious and arrogant; it achieves nothing. The Guardian did not back the Labour party at the last election and look what we ended up with. Be careful what you wish for, John – you may just get it.Ian ParsonsBradford

• This week's elections for police commissioners mark the end of almost two centuries of non-political policing in England. The coalition's enthusiasm for police commissioners is nothing to do with local democracy or public involvement but, once again, the golden rules of the market, ideology and "follow the money". Commissioners will control police budgets to enable them to force through "modernisation" of the police service and the handover of police tasks to the private sector for profit "to reduce costs". Just think of the potential revenues from traffic policing alone – profits backed by the force of law. Another splendid example of the needs of society and citizens being ignored to promote ideology and profits, disguised as progress.Peter NorthBrinton, Norfolk

• Thanks to John Harris. His article confirms our decision to spoil our ballot papers because of a lack of clear argument of why the existing police authorities are ineffective and incapable of being reformed and justify replacement by what is likely to become a political office. More specifically at a time of "austerity", who made the boneheaded decision to spend £75m on a special election in November when surely it could have waited until the May local elections? Barry and Muriel MooreClaydon, Suffolk

• At least John Harris has received a leaflet from the Lib Dems about the police commissioners election. Here in Amber Valley in mid-Derbyshire we've had nothing: no leaflet, no door knocks, and no hustings meetings. The government is expecting voters to find out for themselves, but how many people have that much motivation?Viv ScottBelper, Derbyshire

• Won't spoilt ballots just add numbers to the turnout? So maybe Ian Blair's boycott is the right response?Mick FarleyBurton in Kendal, Cumbria